Organotin compounds in nature comprise mono-, di- and tri- (alkyl- or aryl-) substituted compounds and are used in a variety of different industrial applications (e.g. biocide agents and plastic stabilisers). Organotin compounds are introduced to the aquatic environment by the use of organotin compounds as antifouling agents, mainly tributyltin (TBT), on ships. Organotin compounds are generally very toxic and act as endocrine disruptors and exert immunotoxic effects.
Recently (2005) the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) issued a toxicological evaluation of organotin compounds and suggested a tolerable daily intake (TDI) as low as 0.25 µg/kg bodyweight for the sum of four organotin compounds occurring in nature. ). The research at The National Food Institute focus on the determination of organotin levels in seafood samples, which is performed using GC-ICPMS. The data are used to assess human exposure via seafood and compared with present recommendations for tolerable intake.